Fernand Petiot (born in Paris, February 18, 1900; died in Canton, Ohio, January 6, 1975) was a bartender who claimed to have created the Bloody Mary, a popular cocktail drink.
Petiot was born into the hospitality industry in Paris in 1900,[1] where his parents kept a large pension (a boarding house usually offering full daily meals), helping his mother in the kitchen from an early age.
[1] The New York Bar was a frequent hangout for American expatriates such as Ernest Hemingway, as well as movie stars and other celebrities of the day, including Ava Gardner, Rex Harrison, Douglas Fairbanks Junior, Salvador Dalí and Joe DiMaggio.
After a sojourn in Canton, Ohio, where he met his second wife Ruth, he became head bartender at New York City's St. Regis Hotel in 1933-34, eventually having a staff of 17 barmen under him.
"[1] Following his move to the United States, Petiot first added salt, lemon, and Tabasco sauce — now considered essential ingredients — to the Bloody Mary in order to satisfy requests from American customers for a spicier drink.